A Chicago newspaper music reviewer wrote a favorable review of our performance at the Chicago jazz Festival in 1994. In his reveiw he referred to me as "The Hardbop Grandpop." My musicians and I got a chuckle out of this. I later thought that this would be a good title for a tune so I sat down and wrote one and titled it: "The Hardbop Grandpop."

In planning my first release for the Impulse label it occurred to me that his might be a good title for the CD. Although my influences and inspirations go back to the swing era, the major part of me has its roots deeply planted in be-bop. I have been blessed to have been born at a period of time in jazz history in which I could walk among and perform with some of the great geniuses of the swing and be-bop era. I truly am a be-bopper and I do play hard. I am also a senior citizen so I guess I am qualified to assume this title.

There are two songs on this CD that are meant to be tributes. One of them is dedicated to one of the great masters from the swing era--Coleman Hawkins ("Hawkin'"). The other one is dedicated to one of the great masters from the be-bop era--Dexter Gordon ("Diggin' On Dexter"). The song "Gratitude" was inspired by my great love for Louis Armstrong. I have known several ladies from Johannesburg; the song called "The Lady from Johannesburg" was inspired by the memory of one of them. The song called "Serenade To a Teakettle" was inspired by the whistling of my teakettle. One day while preparing a cup of tea I observed the tones emanating from my teakettle and went to the piano and developed a tune from them. Music is everywhere. You just have to listen for it.

I have no explanation of how or why I wrote "The Hippest Cat in Hollywood" or "I Got the Blues in Santa Cruz." They just popped into my head. "The Hardbop Grandpop" is an original melody line of mine written on the chord changes of an old standard composition. "I Want You" is a brand new composition that I wrote just a few days before the recording session and thought that it would be appropriate to include. "We've Got Silver at Six" was written for my good friend Michael Gourrier who has a jazz radio show once a week in New Orleans called "Silver At Six" in which he features all Horace Silver music.

I would like to thank all the musicians who made this recording with me for their full cooperation. We had a great deal of fun while making this recording and we hope you, the listener, will have a gread deal of fun while listening to it. I sincerely hope that this music will bring some joy and happiness into your life and that you'll tell all your friends to go out and cop The Hardbop Grandpop.